dunsbyowl1867 Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 from the Star 9 Jan 2010. http://www.thestar.co.uk/headlines/300000-...save.5969137.jp £300,000 Sheffield grant to save historical workshop Published Date: 09 January 2010 By Graham Walker Digital Editor A £300,000 grant has been pledged to help save a historical 1870s steel-making workshop in Sheffield. English Heritable has awarded the grant to help restore what is thought to be the only surviving large scale crucible workshop in the world. Located on the Darnall Works in the Lower Don Valley, the site is owned by Sheffield businessman, Andrew Dunigan, who will meet the remaining £500,000 project costs. The Grade II building escaped demolition after it became redundant in the early 20th century. The new restoration scheme will restore brickwork and replace the badly decaying slate roof. Four 30 foot high chimney stacks will be rebuilt to their full height and the rotten roof beams and rafters restored. Work will also involve repairs to an adjoining range of buildings, which once housed smaller crucible workshops. Repairs are due to be completed by April, allowing the building to be put to new uses such as warehouse space or offices. Giles Proctor, English Heritage historic buildings architect, said: "The crucible workshop has assumed iconic status as possibly the world's only known survivor of this type of steelworks. "For years we have been working with partners to find a solution and revive the building's fortunes. "Now we have real progress, with the scaffolding going up and repairs underway to weatherproof the structure and adjoining range. "That will ensure that a national historic treasure remains a Sheffield landmark, playing a part in the city's commercial future as well as being a link with the past." English Heritage said crucible steel production was the key to Sheffield's 19th century economic growth, which eventually saw it supply half of all Europe's steel. The technology was developed by Benjamin Huntsman, from Doncaster, a clockmaker in search of better steel for clock springs, and involved melting steel in deep crucible pots, producing higher quality metal than previous methods, perfect for making cutting edge tools. The Darnall crucible works was one of the sites featured in the English Heritage publication One Great Workshop, in 2001, which highlighted the potential of metal trade buildings in Sheffield to contribute to the city's regeneration. Darnall Works was established by Sandersons, one of Sheffield's leading 19th century steel firms. It acquired glassworks on the site and built a small cementation and crucible works in 1835. Eventually it opted to expand at Darnall, creating a large crucible steel works with 132 coke-fired holes. Sandersons closed the works in 1934 after opening a new electric melting shop at Newhall Road, but it may have reopened briefly during the Second World War. English Heritage is a Government funded body that aims to protect and promote England's spectacular historic environment and ensure that its past is researched and understood. For more information www.english-heritage.org.uk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart0742 Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 from the Star 9 Jan 2010. http://www.thestar.co.uk/headlines/300000-...save.5969137.jp £300,000 Sheffield grant to save historical workshop Published Date: 09 January 2010 By Graham Walker Digital Editor A £300,000 grant has been pledged to help save a historical 1870s steel-making workshop in Sheffield. English Heritable has awarded the grant to help restore what is thought to be the only surviving large scale crucible workshop in the world. Located on the Darnall Works in the Lower Don Valley, the site is owned by Sheffield businessman, Andrew Dunigan, who will meet the remaining £500,000 project costs. The Grade II building escaped demolition after it became redundant in the early 20th century. The new restoration scheme will restore brickwork and replace the badly decaying slate roof. Four 30 foot high chimney stacks will be rebuilt to their full height and the rotten roof beams and rafters restored. Work will also involve repairs to an adjoining range of buildings, which once housed smaller crucible workshops. Repairs are due to be completed by April, allowing the building to be put to new uses such as warehouse space or offices. Giles Proctor, English Heritage historic buildings architect, said: "The crucible workshop has assumed iconic status as possibly the world's only known survivor of this type of steelworks. "For years we have been working with partners to find a solution and revive the building's fortunes. "Now we have real progress, with the scaffolding going up and repairs underway to weatherproof the structure and adjoining range. "That will ensure that a national historic treasure remains a Sheffield landmark, playing a part in the city's commercial future as well as being a link with the past." English Heritage said crucible steel production was the key to Sheffield's 19th century economic growth, which eventually saw it supply half of all Europe's steel. The technology was developed by Benjamin Huntsman, from Doncaster, a clockmaker in search of better steel for clock springs, and involved melting steel in deep crucible pots, producing higher quality metal than previous methods, perfect for making cutting edge tools. The Darnall crucible works was one of the sites featured in the English Heritage publication One Great Workshop, in 2001, which highlighted the potential of metal trade buildings in Sheffield to contribute to the city's regeneration. Darnall Works was established by Sandersons, one of Sheffield's leading 19th century steel firms. It acquired glassworks on the site and built a small cementation and crucible works in 1835. Eventually it opted to expand at Darnall, creating a large crucible steel works with 132 coke-fired holes. Sandersons closed the works in 1934 after opening a new electric melting shop at Newhall Road, but it may have reopened briefly during the Second World War. English Heritage is a Government funded body that aims to protect and promote England's spectacular historic environment and ensure that its past is researched and understood. For more information www.english-heritage.org.uk. Where exactly are Sanderson's Darnall Crucible Works, sure they must be on a map Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunsbyowl1867 Posted January 9, 2010 Author Share Posted January 9, 2010 Where exactly are Sanderson's Darnall Crucible Works, sure they must be on a map More details here http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART35144.html map on here http://www.brownbook.net/business/31275215/mtl-group Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docmel Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 I used to work for Sanderson Kaysers back in the 70's. I spent most of my time at their main place on Newhall Road but was sent on a couple of jobs up to the Darnall Works. The sight and sound of one of those crucibles being tapped stays with me even still there wsa also a wire drawing mill at the same site - that was an impressive sight as well - especially when teh wire missed one of the gates and started to coil over the floor - blokes scattering everywhere while red hot wire snaked its way all over the shop. Happy times - great bunch of workmates. I sometimes used to wander round the old unused parts of the works where they used to have the smaller workshops - never paid much attention to the history of the place though - wish I had now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roy1942 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 any talk of a open day on completion of restoration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miked Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 YES WHEN CAN WE VISIT, ANYONE KNOW? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lysander Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I thought the last commercial use of a crucible furnace was made in the 1960's...they being largely replaced by small electric- arc or high frequency furnaces. Were they still in use at Sanderson-Kayser as late as the 1970s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miked Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Some uncertainty, may have reopened for a time in WW1. Recently discovered that some crucible melting in 1941 took place. I am hoping to arrange an open day in Sept 2017. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old rider Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 As a Sanderson Brothers and Newbould, later Sanderson Keyser apprentice from 1959 to 1965 I can categorically state there were no Huntsman type crucible melting furnaces there then. S.B.&N had one arc furnace and a number of old Induction melting furnaces. When they bought or amalgamated with Keyser Ellisons Sanderson's arc furnace was moved to Keyser's Darnall works and a new larger high frequency induction furnace installed. Although I never went to the Darnall works I was told that it was to rationalise production. Darnall - Arc furnaces and Newhall Road - Induction melting furnaces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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